Senior Travel Risk Advisor in Haywards Heath

Join a team that believes risk management should enable positive change.

At ILS, we support the aid agencies, researchers, journalists and campaigners on the front lines of today's most complex global challenges.

We are a purpose-led business founded by aid workers and built around the belief that people come first. Our values shape how we work with clients and with each other. As a Senior Risk Advisor, you will be part of a highly collaborative team of recognised experts who combine deep operational experience with a practical, person-centred approach to risk management.

You will have the opportunity to influence strategy, support organisations operating in some of the world's most challenging environments, contribute to sector-leading thinking, and help build a safer, more resilient future for those striving to create lasting social impact.

We are deliberately small enough for every voice to matter, yet influential enough to shape practice across the sectors we serve.

Job Purpose

We are seeking a new Senior Risk Advisor. The position sits within our dynamic risk advisory team, which provides advice, support and guidance to a broad range of high-profile clients.

The post holder will be expected to interact with and provide specialist travel risk management advice at senior leadership and board level, and to support risk management planning at an operational (regional and country) level.

The post holder will assist ILS’ clients to fulfil the appropriate level of Duty of Care for their staff, assets, programmes, reputation, and risk appetite.

Working autonomously with clients, you will provide safety and security advice and support for their work around the globe. The work is highly varied, and changes from week to week.

We are looking for a dynamic, detail-oriented, motivated and engaging risk management professional who shares ILS’ mission and values. This is an amazing opportunity to grow and shape the role, and to drive growth and efficiency within our healthy, thriving, and experiencedrisk management team.

Risk Advisory Services

As a Senior Risk Advisor, you will work alongside some of the world's leading humanitarian, development, research and media organisations, helping them to operate safely and effectively in complex environments. You will:

• Lead travel risk management reviews and Duty of Care assessments, helping organisations strengthen their risk management frameworks and align with international good practice, with a particular focus onISO 31030
• Develop practical, intelligence-led risk assessments, travel safety briefings and security plans that enable clients to achieve their objectives with confidence.
• Conduct research and analysis on emerging threats, operational environments and organisational risk challenges, transforming complex information into clear, actionable advice.
• Design tailored risk mitigation strategies that support sustainable programme delivery in challenging and dynamic contexts.
• Act as a trusted advisor to a portfolio of retained and embedded clients, building long-term relationships and providing strategic and operational guidance on a wide range of travel and safety risk matters.
• Support ILS travellers with operational risk management advice, ensuring our own teams continue to work safely and effectively around the world.

Crisis Management

When organisations face their most challenging moments, you will help them prepare, respond and recover. You will:

• Support clients to build crisis preparedness and resilience through the development of bespoke crisis management frameworks, plans, exercises and operating procedures.
• Deliver training, mentoring and advisory support to senior leaders and crisis management teams.
• Provide real-time support to retained clients during critical incidents and crises, helping them make informed decisions under pressure and navigate complex situations with confidence.

Training and Capacity Building

A key part of the role is sharing knowledge and helping others develop the confidence and skills to manage risk effectively.

• Working closely with our Learning & Development team, you will:
• Deliver engaging and highly practical Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) courses in the UK and internationally.
• Facilitate online and face-to-face training programmes covering security risk management, travel safety, crisis management and related topics.
• Contribute to the development of new learning products, tools and resources that reflect evolving client needs and emerging risks.
• Mentor participants and clients, helping to build lasting organisational capability rather than simply delivering training events.

What Makes This Role Different

This is not only a desk-based advisory position. One week you could be facilitating a crisis management exercise with a senior leadership team, the next conducting a Duty of Care review for an international NGO, delivering HEAT training, supporting a client through a critical incident, or developing solutions for organisations operating in some of the world's most complex environments. It is a varied, hands-on role that combines consultancy, training, operational support and thought leadership, offering the opportunity to make a tangible difference to organisations working to create positive change around the world.

Person Specification

We are looking for an experienced, commercially aware and values-driven risk management professional who is passionate about helping organisations operate safely and effectively in complex environments. The successful candidate will combine strong technical expertise with excellent client-facing skills and thrive in a dynamic consultancy environment where no two days are the same.

• Strong alignment with ILS' values of Humanity, Respect, Compassion and Creativity .
• Extensive experience in a risk management, security, operations or advisory role, ideally within the NGO, media or corporate travel risk sectors.
• Proven experience in travel risk management and operational risk advisory.
• Demonstrable crisis and critical incident management experience.
• Demonstrable project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple clients and priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent analytical, research and problem-solving abilities.
• Experience developing risk assessments, policies, procedures and risk mitigation measures.
• Confident trainer, facilitator and presenter.
• Excellent written and verbal English communication skills.
• Strong IT literacy and confidence using digital tools and intelligence platforms.
• Self-motivated, adaptable and comfortable working within a small, dynamic team
• Experience within a consultancy or account management role.
• Degree or postgraduate qualification in a relevant field.
• Additional language skills.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate combines technical travel risk management expertise with excellent people skills. They are equally comfortable advising senior leaders, supporting clients through crises, delivering training, and managing multiple projects. They are pragmatic, client-focused, commercially aware, and motivated by helping organisations achieve their objectives safely and effectively.

You should already have the legal right to work in the UK.

Compensation package and benefits

• Starting salary £46,818 depending on experience, with a clear salary progression scheme.
• Generous annual (discretionary) bonus scheme
• Employer pension contributions
• Free access to psychological support service
• 37.5 hour working week.flexible working hours (with core working hours 10am-16:00pm)
• 36 days of annual leave (formulated as 25 days standard leave + 3 days of additional Christmas leave + 8 days of bank holidays).
• Further leave allowance accrued with length of service.

Working location:

• The position is based in ILS’ office in the UK, very close to Haywards Heath railway station.
• We adopt a flexible working policy, whereby staff are currently expected to attend the office no less than 50% of their working hours (3 days on Anchor Week, 2 days on non-Anchor week)

As an inclusive workplace, we welcome applicants from all backgrounds and actively encourage applicants from minority groups to apply.

We are happy to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process, and within the role itself. If you are invited to interview and feel you would benefit from any adjustments, please let our team know when they contact you to arrange the interview.